This episode explores the cultural significance and far-reaching influence of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) through an insightful interview with Premeet Sidhu and José Zagal, editors of the book “50 Years of Dungeons & Dragons.” It offers insights into how the iconic tabletop RPG has influenced various aspects of global culture, from gaming and entertainment to education and beyond.

The discussion covers D&D’s historical roots, examining its evolution from a niche hobby to a mainstream phenomenon. Sidhu and Zagal shed light on the game’s unexpected crossovers with diverse fields, such as interactive storytelling, solo journaling, and educational applications.

Key points covered include:

• The book’s approach to celebrating D&D from a scholarly yet accessible perspective
• Surprising insights into the game’s evolution, such as the progression of combat systems
• D&D’s influence on other media and how it has been influenced by culture in turn
• The game’s potential in education and fostering critical thinking
• Speculative discussions on D&D’s future, including the role of AI and emergence as a mainstream entertainment genre

Links

• Wyrmworks Publishing Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wyrmworkspublishing
• Wyrmworks Publishing Nexus: https://books.inclusiverpg.com 
• Fifty Years of D&D: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262547604/fifty-years-of-idungeons-and-dragonsi/ 
• Get it at the Wyrmworks Publishing Nexus & support the show: https://bookshop.org/a/103322/9780262547604 
• University of Utah’s Division of Games – https://games.utah.edu/ 
• José Zagal Academic Profile – https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=a4a3GTMAAAAJ&hl=en 
• Seeing Red: Nintendo’s Virtual Boy – https://bit.ly/3UIHvmb 
• Premeet Sidhu Academic Profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=WGI4GlUAAAAJ&hl=en 
• Premeet Sidhu Twitter: https://twitter.com/premeetsidhu 

0:00 Introduction

0:19 Wyrmworks Publishing Updates

03:18 Interview with Premeet Sidhu and José Zagal

06:12 “50 Years of Dungeons & Dragons” Book Overview

10:41 Insights and Revelations

15:58 D&D’s Cultural Influence

18:33 Future of D&D

36:01 Upcoming Projects

43:57 Patreon Showcase & Closing

Manually captioned. Transcript available at our website.

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We explore the connections between language, masculinity, and tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) experiences with sociologist Dr. Steven Dashiell. He studies language in male-dominated spaces like gaming conventions.

We discuss how language use, rules lawyering, gamesplaining, and off-topic conversations (metadiscourse) at gaming tables can create barriers. These reinforce masculine norms and potentially alienate players from underrepresented groups. Dr. Dashiell shares research on gendered speech patterns, the historical invisibility of women TTRPG players, and the challenges that women face asserting themselves without seeming overly aggressive.

The conversation also covers the benefits of increased gender diversity in TTRPGs. Dr. Dashiell explains how bringing your authentic self enriches the gaming experience for all. He offers insights for designers to create more welcoming, inclusive spaces.

Whether new or experienced with TTRPGs, this episode provides a valuable perspective on building a more equitable gaming culture.

Links:

• Dr. Steven Dashiell at American University: https://www.american.edu/soc/faculty/dashiell.cfm

  • Dr. Dashiell’s Research and Papers: https://american.academia.edu/StevenDashiell

• Accessible Character Sheet: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/476978/Accessible-Character-Sheets-for-DD-Players-with-Print-Disabilities?affiliate_id=2455077&src=GainingAdvantage37
• Ready-to-Roll: Fairweather Friends Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wyrmworkspublishing/ready-to-roll-last-minute-no-prep-dandd-5e-adventure-1?ref=c7371z
• Wyrmworks Publishing Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wyrmworkspublishing?utm_source=gaining_advantage&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=037

Show Outline:

00:00 Welcome and intro
00:21 Accessible character sheet for print & reading disabilities
00:56 Ready-to-Roll: Fairweather Friends D&D adventure Kickstarter
01:29 Interview with Dr. Steven Dashiell sociology of language
04:57 Gender representation in TTRPG spaces
06:24 Metadiscourse and inside references
07:21 Masculine language and behavior in gaming
08:18 Rules lawyering and excluding players
12:14 Gamesplaining
14:51 Historical gender erasure of women gamers
16:12 Benefits of diversity in tabletop RPGs
18:26 Murderhobo
25:08 Charisma in D&D and its effect on inclusion
28:36 Male dominance in D&D
31:33 Bringing your authentic self to gaming table
41:40 Designing more inclusive TTRPGs
50:32 Gendered guilt when missing game sessions
52:01 Jerks and toxic behavior study
57:31 Support Inclusive Gaming